DAGUPAN CITY — Despite the holidays, the police in Dagupan have not relaxed their guard a bit against illegal drugs as they vowed to protect the gains that they had already made when they already cleared 83 percent of the total 31 barangays in the city.
Mayor Belen Fernandez commended the local police headed by Supt. Neil Miro, chief of police for working overtime despite the holidays and will not rest till Dagupan is 100 percent drug free.
Continuing visitation by the police in all barangays is ongoing to make sure that no more drugs will enter drug-cleared communities or any part of the city.
Miro said Dagupan finally ceased to be the source of illegal drugs in Pangasinan based on their latest arrests of drug suspects who confirmed that their stuffs came from Malasiqui and other towns of Pangasinan.
The mayor said to date, 26 of the 31 barangays have already been declared drug-free with five more still undergoing clearing operations.
Those cleared constitute 83 percent of the total 31 barangays which is three percent more than the target given all municipal and cities by President Rodrigo Duterte during the launching of the Sulong Pilipinas in Manila in November last year, said Fernandez.
The five barangays yet to be cleared are Lasip Chico, Pantal, Barangay 2&3, Calmay, Pugaro.
“We are not resting with 83 per cent of the barangays already cleared. We are continuing till Dagupan City is completely drug-free,” Fernandez added.
At the same time, she said the SURE (Sagip User Rehabilitation Enhancement) program launched by the city government in a bid to rehabilitate drug users who surrendered is also continuing.
The beneficiaries from various villages were endorsed to the Dagupan Drug Treatment Center where the cost of their rehabilitation is being bankrolled by the city government.
Fernandez congratulated all the 26 barangays already declared drug-free.
Meanwhile, Supt. Miro said all the 26 barangays already cleared of drugs are now being keenly monitored to prevent any more of their residents from indulging in illegal drugs, either as users or pushers.
He said barangay officials have vowed to thwart any attempt to bring back illegal drugs to their now peaceful communities, in coordination with the police.
No untoward incident has happened in any part of the city during this Yuletide season. Leonardo Micua/PNA-northboundasia.com